My Favorite Cliché
by wordsofawitheringwriter
Summary: Lucy is determined to get stronger for her friends in the guild, and in order to do so she asks Natsu to spar with her. However, she wasn't counting on the boy to refuse her (seemingly) simple request. NaLu.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first attempt at Nalu, hope you all enjoy! Reviews are always appreciated(: **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything**

* * *

"Come on, Natsu!" The girl would fervently deny the almost whiny tone her voice was taking on, "Please? I want to show you all that I'm not as weak as you think I am!" Her hands were coiled into fists, resting on her hips.

"Ehh, not weak." Happy floats, well, happily around the pink-haired boy's head. "A little dumb, maybe, but not weak."

The boy shrugs off Lucy's shouts directed towards his little buddy. "No one thinks you're weak."

The blonde's shoulders slump, her posture becoming cringe-worthy. "You know what I mean," she pouts.

Natsu folds his hands behind his neck. "Well, what do you want me to do about it?"

"Fight me."

The boy outright _guffaws,_ shaking his head and causing a few pink strands to fall in front of his eyes. "No way, Luce," he chuckles, "I'm not fighting you."

"And why not?" She demands, brow furrowing.

"We're partners, for starters! You don't hurt people in your own team!"

"You and Gray fight all the time!"

"Yeah, well," he falters, but only slightly, "Gray's a bastard!"

"Leave me out of it!" Said boy shouts from across the guild's common room, grumbling something incoherent as he slumps back on one of the wooden benches and resumes his conversation with Elfman.

"Would it kill you to keep your shirt on for longer than five minutes?" Kana grumbles into her fifth mug, before tipping it back while Gray scrambles for his discarded clothing.

"You've fought Erza!" Lucy argues, ignoring the antics of the rest of the guild and focusing on the topic at hand. "Come on, Natsu, please? I'm not asking for an all out battle, I don't have a death wish, I just want a sparring match."

"You know, really, that doesn't sound like such a bad idea." Erza speaks up from a neighboring table where she picked at her food. "It might help us if Lucy knew how to defend herself better. She can't always depend on her keys. I think you _should_ fight her, Natsu."

The boy shoots a glare at the redhead, "Shut up, no one asked you! And no, no way in hell."

"I'm tired of being the stupid damsel in distress!" Lucy resists the very strong urge to stomp her foot.

She drops her gaze to her now slightly scuffed boots, lowering her voice to where only the pink-haired boy can hear. "I'm tired of not being able to save myself."

Natsu looked away from her somber expression, arms still crossed as he grumbles. "I don't mind saving you, Lucy."

The girl blushes. "That's not the point. I'm tired of being in situations where I need to be saved in the first place." She frowns, "I didn't join Fairy Tail just for a glorified team of body guards."

The boy grimaces, awkwardly trying to comfort his friend. "Come on, Luce, you're more to us than just that…"

Turning, her posture stiff and her head down, she mumbles, "Doesn't feel like it."

Natsu, flustered, watches as the blonde hurries out the front doors.

"Way to go, moron." Natsu grunts as someone slams his head down on the wooden table.

"See Gray," he mumbles, sounding resigned, though it was hard to tell since his voice is slightly muffled from being crushing into the tabletop. "This is why you're a bastard."

* * *

She didn't let the subject drop.

* * *

The girl sits on the plush stool in front of her vanity, carefully applying mascara with an ease only possible after years of practiced precision. Her mouth was slightly open as she placed the bristles against her lashes, rolling the applicator up-

It took only one out of place shadow by her window to make her jump out of her skin and send her makeup flying.

"_Natsu_!" Without thinking, she flings the mascara tube at her friend's head. Used to the blonde's antics, he easily catches the offending makeup and drops it carelessly onto her nightstand as he flings himself onto her bed.

"Nice to see you too, Luce."

"_Why the hell can't you just use a door like a normal person_."

He shrugs, "I don't think normal people can eat fire either, but I do that."

Lucy glares, "You're just lucky I didn't stab my eye out when you scared me like that."

Natsu rolls onto his back on the soft pink comforter, looking at her upside down with a puzzled expression. "Why were you scared?"

She falters for a second in picking up the scattered beauty products, but only a second. "Well, it's not that big a deal. I guess. If you would teach me to fight though-"

"No."

She continues as if he hadn't interrupted, "then I wouldn't have to be so scared when you sneak in."

"You don't have to be afraid of me." She swallows hard when his voice sounds almost _hurt _at the accusation_. _

"You know I don't mean it like that." Lucy says softly, sighing and disregarding the mess, knowing she'll have an even bigger one to clean up once her friend leaves. She plops herself back down on the stool, resting her head on her hand as she regards the boy's heavy eyelids.

She wonders when the last time he'd had a full night sleep.

"What if you aren't the one sneaking in?" She asks, only half serious. It's something that _has_ had her worried before, though now she doesn't say it meaningfully. The fight in her on the topic has faded for now, being replaced with worry for the dark circles under those onyx eyes.

He snorts, grinning. "Then I'll beat 'em up! Or if I'm not here," the girl gives a little start at how he just automatically assumes he'd already be here if a break in were to occur, "then just scream really loud and Happy and I will come running." He gives her a toothy grin, "I keep telling you, Luce, you don't need to learn to fight if I'm around."

He flops onto his stomach now, breathing deeply before finally allowing his eyes to close.

Lucy allows the subject to drop for now, watching the boy's back rise up and down before it finds a steady rhythm, and that's when she knows he's fallen asleep.

"Idiot," she mumbles softly, shaking her head, but had anyone heard her they could not deny the fondness found in her tone.

* * *

"Lucy," his voice is gruff, and she shakes her head. It's easy for her to ignore the tears sliding down her grimy cheeks, but Natsu finds himself having a harder time.

"Shut up," she demands around the large lump in her throat. Her actions betray her harsh tone, however, as she gingerly wraps his gashed arm in their last roll of bandages. It would have to have a couple stitches from what she could tell, but he wouldn't bleed out over night.

She sniffs, pursing her chapped lips as she struggles to see in the dim lighting of the cave they decided to set up camp in until morning. "If I was more useful-"

"Lucy, _stop,_" his tone is almost pleading. He struggles to sit up, brushing off her hands insisting he lay down. Resting his back against the cool cave wall, he lights a small flame on the tip of his finger so they both can see better.

They each watch as the flame flickers and casts shadows across the other's face, illuminating features that neither had either really taken the time to notice before.

He lets his head fall back against the wall as well. "I don't know where this little self-esteem issue you've been dealing with lately has come from," he says softly, shaking his head when it looks like she's about to argue. "My turn to talk."

He waits until she shuts her mouth completely. Instead of attempting to argue back, she chooses instead to comply for once and cradles his injured hand in her lap.

"You _aren't _useless, Lucy," he insists. It surprises her that he sounds so serious, something that's usually out of character for the rambunctious boy. "It's thanks to you we're even alive in the first place! If it weren't for your spirits, you'd still be tied up in that bandit camp and I'd have been tramped in that ravine."

He wrinkles his nose at that. "If I hadn't have been so damn sick from that boat ride then it wouldn't have even been a fight, but those bastards did their homework."

Lucy looks up at the pink haired boy through her lashes, finding it difficult to look him straight in the eye. "You could have been killed."

He purses his lips, breathing deeply. "You almost were."

More tears slip down her dirt-covered cheeks. "I feel so useless." She grips his hand that's lying in her lap, careful to avoid the bandages stretching from his wrist up to his elbow.

He weighs her statement carefully, his consideration again taking her slightly off guard. As dimwitted as he can come across as, he isn't exactly as dumb as everyone takes him to be. In other words, he knew what she was asking without her having to actually say it aloud.

"Luce," he says softly, sounding pained. "I can't teach you how to fight."

"Why not?" She sniffs.

"I've almost destroyed an entire city before just by sneezing, not even because I was trying to. What if I screw up?"

She blinks, "Natsu," she breathes.

"What if I hurt you? Badly?" He grimaces.

Lucy grips his hand in her own, her guild mark illuminated by the dull flame. "You won't." She grins for the first time since they'd found the cave. "Natsu, I don't think you could hurt me if you tried."

He frowns, "That's not what you said when I told you your butt looked big in that new skirt-"

Deadpan, she replies, "Hurting feelings and hurting someone physically are two different things, you dimwit."

He shrugs, grinning at her lazily, before taking on a somber expression.

"I'm sorry, Lucy. But I'm not going to teach you."

She shifts her position to where now her back rests against the cave wall as well, her shoulder bumping his.

"Can you just tell me why?"

"I've told you before," he yawns, letting his head fall atop hers, eyes drifting closed. "I don't mind saving you."

The girl rolls her eyes, but allows her head to fall onto his shoulder. She shifts and allows herself to settle in for the night, getting comfortable. He's so warm that the slight chill to the cave is easy to ignore. "The whole princess and dragon cliche is a bit overdone, wouldn't you say?"

"It's my favorite cliche." He hums, grinning.

It's such a surprising answer that Lucy wouldn't be shocked if he were half asleep when he said it.

His quiet snores filled the cave a few moments later.

* * *

"Natsu, I'm not o fight this battle for you." Erza states simply, tacking on a '_literally'_ after thinking about it for a moment and grinning at her own humor.

Natsu groans, letting his head fall into his hands. "_Please_, Erza."

"I don't understand why you don't just teach her yourself. It's obvious she wants you as an instructor, why not do your best to just make her happy?"

The boy feels his shoulders slump. "What if I screw it up?"

Erza blinks.

"I mean," he continues, "you and Gray have your powers to protect you, and I'm not saying Lucy isn't powerful too, because she is!" He's scrambling now. "It's just, she only has her spirits and her keys wouldn't help her in a sparring match and what if I get carried away and hit a little too hard that isn't like hitting you or that bastard Gray it might really hurt her and-"

The redhead gives him a gentle, or what she considers gentle, smack upside the head to stop his blabbering.

"Natsu," she offers him a rare grin. "You have better self control than that."

"You really think?" He asks, rubbing the now sore spot on his head.

"Sure, and if you need an incentive," Natsu swears the girl's aurora just became ten times scarier than normal, "If you hurt our dear Lucy, _then that pink mop on your head will become a new trophy beside my collection I keep in my room_. Is that understood?"

Eyes wide, he swallows hard. "Yes ma'am."

* * *

**Part 2 coming soon**


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2 is finally here! Sorry for your wait(: Thank you for all of your sweet reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything**

* * *

"Okay, so, obviously in an actual fight nothing is predictable right off the bat, right?"

Lucy nodded, her face set and showing her determination. "Right."  
Natsu slipped off his coat and tossed it off to the side, not watching, or caring, where it landed. Lucy rolled her eyes, making a mental note that it fell right at the foot of a large oak tree, so that way she could remind him when he was hunting for it later.

Such a dimwit.

Rolling back his shoulders, the boy lifted one arm and stretched it across his well-defined chest. "I'll teach you the basics, okay? Nothing too crazy." He leveled his gaze on her, and she could tell he still wasn't too thrilled about the whole thing. "Basic self defense, cool?"

She nodded firmly once more, taking what she could get. If this went well then it would make it easier in the future to convince him to really teach her how to do some damage. Maybe.

Probably.

Hopefully?

"So," her heart nearly jumped out of her chest when Natsu's voice came from behind her, but when had he moved? "First thing's first," she _did_ jump when his voice was suddenly right at her ear, and she could feel his alarmingly hot breath on the back of her neck. "Never take your eye off of the enemy."

* * *

They were both panting, sweat forming on their brows and slipping down their cheeks. Who knows how long they had been going at that point, but neither was showing any sign of letting up.

Natsu launched a well-aimed fist in the direction of Lucy's head which she swiftly dodged. She swung her own attack towards his chin, which he easily caught and gripped her wrist, twisting her arm behind her back.

"Lucy," he tsked, but she could hear the grin in his voice. "You've tried that move twice already. As the opponent you're getting easier and easier to read. The last thing you want in a fight is to become predictable."

He released her and she took a step back, momentarily rubbing her sore wrist.

A pink brow was raised, however, when her fists went back up.

"You aren't tired yet?"

She smirked, taking a step forward. "Scared?"

He gave her a toothy grin in response, and she was relieved to see he was finally loosening up.

"Trust me," he laughed, raising his own fists, "You don't want me fired up."

* * *

Fists were thrown, kicks were aimed, and arms were raised in defense, but no contact was ever made. Natsu was definitely keeping his word on keeping this strictly sparring, Lucy noted.

There were many times he could've laid her out flat if he had put actual force behind his attack, because she was positive just sticking her arms up wasn't gonna do much against another wizard.

However, for the pervs in town, it'd probably work just fine.

_Baby steps, Lucy,_ she kept saying to herself.

Actually, she noted with a sense of pride, there was one time that she was positive she almost laid _him_ out. He hadn't been expecting the first time she took a swipe at his feet.

She wiped at her forehead with her sleeve, rubbing underneath both of her eyes.

He noted this. "Ready for a break yet?"

She breathed deeply, trying to get a steady rhythm going. "Just a little longer, then we'll take a break."

He looked doubtful.

"You really shouldn't push yourself so much on the first day…" He trailed off.

"Natsu."

He looked up at her, brows furrowing.

"Let's go. Come at me."

He chucked, shaking his head. "Fine, but just one more round, okay? I'm _starving_, Luce." He whined, rubbing his growling stomach.

She laughed while she got into position, so happy that he was finally getting into it and not stressing so much. It was so out of character for him to worry over the little things. They'd finish here and then go back to the guild for dinner, and then she could show him that she was perfectly capable of sparring with him without getting hurt.

She was strong too, dammit. All it took was someone taking the time to show her _how_ to be, and Natsu had been just the one to show her.

She beamed as they began going at it again. She could get stronger for her guild. For Erza, for Gray, for… for…

Lucy frowned.

Why did Natsu's name cause a pause in her head?

However, that one, short pause was all it took.

She locked up for a split second, her arms still blocking her stomach while her partner's fist had already moved on and was coming towards her face.

All it took, was the split second Natsu had put his body on autopilot while he daydreamed of what dinner would compose of that evening.

All it took, was a moments distraction on both their parts.

* * *

"Natsu!" She tried, once more, to pull his hands away from where they were pressed against his face. He wouldn't look at her, or her swelling eye.

His back was pressed up against the large oak tree from before, and he was still shirtless, she noted.

Resting back on her heels, she sighed.

"I told you," she says gently, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm not upset. It was my fault."

"You cried." He removed his hands, but a dark shadow was cast across his features. The boy stared down at his hands, avoiding her eyes. "I hit you, and made you cry."

She blushed, embarrassed when he brings up the couple tears she initially shed. "It was reflex!" She argued, grumbling, "Everyone's eyes water when they get hit in the eye."

He ignores her.

"Natsu," she frowned. "I get that you don't want to hurt anyone in the guild, the team especially…" she moves to sit indian style directly in front of him, ducking her head to try and catch his gaze. "But in our line of work? We're _wizards_, Natsu," she was hoping that repeatedly using his name would bring him back to his senses, if only a little bit. "It's stupid, really, to expect that no one is ever gonna get hurt."

"That's the point, people _do_ get hurt, Luce… all the time." When he finally allows himself to look up at her, he can't help but wince at the blackening bruise forming underneath her large doe-like eye. She can't help but notice how broken he looked. "You especially, considering you're basically defenseless if you drop those amazing, day-saving keys of yours."

She regarded his expression and tone carefully. "You've thought about this before."

It wasn't a question.

He shrugged. "Fairy Tail is my only family, besides Igneel, of course, and well," the boy's cheeks tinge pink, "Igneel's not exactly around right now. So, yeah I worry about all of my friends in the guild. But," he frowns, and Lucy notes the furrow forming between his brows. "For some reason I usually worry about you more than the others."

She waits for the follow up "Natsu-like" comment to take the initial charm away from the comment, but when there isn't one, she feels touched.

"Natsu-"

"That's why I didn't want to fight you." He says, picking up a fallen leaf and setting the tip of it on fire. "I don't like being on different sides with you, cause we're a team, you know? You were the first person to really put up with Happy and I for more than one mission in the beginning. Plus, you're going to get hurt enough on missions without me contributing."

She subtly slides herself beside him against the tree, her hurt eye facing away from him so hopefully the 'out of sight, out of mind' way of thinking might take place.

He pinches the burning leaf once it gets the stem, extinguishing the flame completely and watching as the smoke sways in the wind.

"Besides," he shrugs, still not looking at her, "why would I want to hurt my best friend?"

The girl stiffens.

He's caught off guard by Lucy suddenly throwing her arms around him.

"You idiot," she sniffs, though she would fervently deny any sound of tears in her voice. She never thought the day would come that she would be _touched_ by words coming from Natsu's mouth.

It was obvious that she couldn't really say anything to make him feel any better right now, but despite Lucy not being known for being the most patient member of Fairy Tail, she was pretty sure she could make an exception this time.

Her words may not be able to provide much comfort, but as she wrapped her arms tighter around the boy's built frame, she grinned into his shoulder as he brought a hand up to rest on the back of her head.

He was her partner, her team mate, _her_ best friend. She would be strong for him, and _this_ was the kind of strength that she had no trouble coming by.

"Come on," she coaxed gently, standing slowly and holding her hand out for his own, her guild tattoo showing. "Happy will be worried if we don't get back soon, and you know you promised him a fish for dinner." She smiled brightly at him, gripping his hand tightly in her own after he finally accepted it. "Besides, even that infamous fire in your stomach could use some fuel."

She pulled him back along the dirt path that would lead them back to the guild hall.

Though he couldn't help but wince whenever he caught sight of the side of her face, the talk of food was the boost needed to get him back to his more-so animated self. He wondered aloud as he tried to decide which method would be easier, actual fishing or just buying from one of the vendors in town.

Lucy listened the entire way back, nodding occasionally and adding her two cents every now and then, and blushing something fierce whenever she realized they were still holding hands.

Which was quite, quite often.

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed Part 2!**


End file.
